diff --git a/files/gitlab-cookbooks/gitlab/recipes/gitlab-shell.rb b/files/gitlab-cookbooks/gitlab/recipes/gitlab-shell.rb
index afac02a..4a915fd 100644
--- a/files/gitlab-cookbooks/gitlab/recipes/gitlab-shell.rb
+++ b/files/gitlab-cookbooks/gitlab/recipes/gitlab-shell.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ directory ssh_dir do
   recursive true
 end
 
+# If SELinux is enabled, make sure that OpenSSH thinks the .ssh directory of the
+# git_user is valid.
+execute "chcon -t user_home_t #{ssh_dir}" do
+  only_if "id -Z"
+end
+
 directory log_directory do
   owner git_user
   recursive true
--
libgit2 0.21.2